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| Vol. 18, No. 7 | Oct. 15, 1998 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 7 | Oct. 15, 1998 |
The National Shellfisheries Association has established an annual student research grant in honor of Melbourne R. Carriker, professor emeritus of marine studies, calling him "one of its most distinguished past presidents."
Graduate student members of the National Shellfisheries Association may apply for a $1,000 award for nontravel related expenses associated with their master's thesis or Ph.D. dissertation research.
An expert in malacology-a branch of zoology focusing on snails, oysters, clams and other mollusks- Carriker joined the faculty of the College of Marine Studies (CMS) in 1973 and was based at the Lewes campus. There, he conducted a variety of shellfish research projects- from identifying the mineral chemistry of the oyster's shell, to exploring the physiology and behavior of the oyster drill, a predatory snail that bores into and feeds on oysters.
When he retired from CMS in 1985, he had completed numerous research projects in marine malacology, written more than 150 scientific publications, taught and advised dozens of graduate students and received professional honors that ranged from an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Beloit College in Wisconsin, to the naming of a copepod and an amoeba after him.
During his retirement, Carriker has remained active in marine research and education.
Among other projects, he is writing about the functional morphology and behavior of the larval and juvenile stages of the hard clam for a book about the species.
Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Carriker has a strong interest in South America and continues to foster the exchange of scientific information, particularly about mariculture, or "fish farming" to Central American and South American nations.
Carriker received his bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. Prior to coming to the University, he was on the faculty of Rutgers University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also served as director of the Systematics-Ecology Program at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Mass.
